A/N: Hey, thanks for reading this. I would love feedback so I know people are interested in me writing this.

This a Brittany and Alex story that will switch between the past and present.

I'm at college so I won't be able to update regularly but I'll try especially if you really really beg me to.

xxEatMyCakexx

2022

Lia

"I love you"

We were lying on the sofa, his head on my chest and our legs entwined. I was glad he couldn't see my face because he wouldn't like the reaction I had to his announcement.

"Lia" He clasped his hand on my leg to twist sideways and look up at me. "Lia say something"

"I'm sorry" I whispered turning my face away from him. The weight lifted of me and then I felt the sofa rise, I stood up and spun away from him.

"Lia" He touched my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Goodbye Adam"

"Lia I-"

"Adam please leave" I couldn't bare to look at him.

"Come on Son" I heard my father Alex say and then both their footsteps were out the room.

"What happened?" Dad asked. When I didn't say anything he took hold of my shoulders and spun me around. "Lia talk to me"

"I" I looked into my father's eyes and I couldn't, could not tell him. It was more than Adam saying he loved me. "I can't do this" I pushed past him in a run, shoving my shoes on hastily as I made it out the door before dad could get a hold on me.

I ran till I was sure I was alone and then let my feet take me away. I found myself on the beach. I took my trainers off and walked bare footed in the sand, my feet sinked into the sand the sand over my feet felt so good, it always did. I liked the beach, I liked how even on a really hot day you got a breeze from the sea, I loved the smell of beach and sea combined.

I kept my tears at bay and just enjoyed the walk, one I wouldn't be able to take for long.

I reached the cliffs and pulled myself up the steps. The steps were rickety, slipping of stones and wide spaced, it took time and effort. "Need a hand?"

I glanced up at the guy's voice. "No thanks" I told him curtly, pulling myself up another by the trees lining the steps.

"Sure?" He asked, standing at the top of them.

"I'll be fine" I gritted out as I nearly slipped making him smirk.

"Oh come on? What can it hurt?"

"I just don't want your help"

"Fine" He crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels.

I made it up finally that I was eye height with him. We weren't just the same height his hair and skin was as dark as mine. "Are you new around here?" I asked him, it wasn't often I found someone who was as tall as me around here, not any one my age.

"Yes I am, thanks for noticing"

"Couldn't help it, there's a lot of short people around here"

"Or maybe we'll just too tall" He quirked.

"No, everyone's too short"

He smiled warmly. "So if I'm new and you're not, do you think you could show me around town?"

"No I don't think so"

"Oh please. You didn't let me help you, at least help me"

"How does that make sense?" I asked him.

"Well in my opinion help can only go two ways. Either people like helping others or they prefer to be helped. It's one or the other see"

"Can't it be both?"

"Of course that's me" He smirked. I shook my head.

"Fine" I said. "Isn't like I have anything better to do"

"Oh I'm flattered really, I'm Asher Breen" He actually held his hand out to me.

I shook it. "Lia Fuentes"

"So where are you from?" I asked as we walked through the trees.

"I'm from Alaska, mom wanted to come somewhere warmer so here we are" He spread his arms.

"Wouldn't say California or Florida would be better if you wanted somewhere warm?"

"Nah, there too warm. Here sounded perfect"

"Really you didn't mind leaving?"

"No. I can easily catch up with school work here and can make new friends. I won't miss much of Alaska I'm not one to hold on to things. Apart from my family of course, family mean a lot of things to me"

"Same here" I blinked turning away from him so he couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes.

"Hey what's wrong?" He pulled me back to him causing tears to leak out my eyes.

"Get off me" I jumped, palming the heel of my hand against my eyes.

"I am so sorry" He moved backwards. "I never meant to make you cry"

"You didn't" I smiled at him. "Forget it. Let me show you around town"

He didn't comment on why I cried and for that I was grateful.

We came out of the trees and onto the three beaten tracks, one leading to the beach, one to the road and one further into the woods. "Which way?" Asher asked.

"Close your eyes" I told him. He raised an eyebrow at me but closed them anyway. "Now walk and let your feet carry you to whatever track they choose"

"Is that possible?" He asked.

"Sure. Close your eyes so that you're almost falling asleep, think of an beautiful image to keep focus on and let your feet do the work"

It always worked every time someone does it. I'm into meditation rather a lot and it was just something I discovered along the way. Nobody ever bumped into something not when they did it the way I teached.

"Am I doing okay?" He asked rather shakily. I glanced over and saw that he had chosen the one to the road and was quite a while down it, in a straight line on the track.

I jogged up to him and told him to open his eyes. He looked at where he was and where he came from, his gaze snapping back and forth. "Its kinda amazing isn't it?"

"Wow, did I really walk straight?"

"Oh yeah, you chose the track to the road"

"Does that mean something?"

"Oh yes. I do it all the time to people if they're willing of course. It depends on what you was thinking in your mind, what you was thinking sends a hidden message to your feet, and that's what leads you to it"

"So it does actually work" He smiled at me. "I think I'm starting to like you Lia, you're different"

"Nobody likes to be the same" I commented.

"Sure" He shrugged. "But it's not you trying to be different. It's what you are Lia, I like that"

"Well thank you" I said sincerely. I never heard anyone say they like me because of that before. It was always that I was hot, or I was easy to talk to or I was fun to be around. Even Adam, I wasn't even sure he loved me, I had heard that many times before and nobody had ever meant it, not one of them.

"So how about I show you around town?" I asked smiling at him.

"You may" He smiled back and something inside me, something inside of me felt.

"Come on then Asher" I strode off forcing him to run to catch up.

I didn't want to go back home because then my parents and siblings would know something was up and the high spirits I was in right now would plummet and right now I just couldn't deal with that.

I wanted to be with Asher Breen.

Preview of the next chapter: I could do this, Brittany thought, Put a big smile on my face and act like everything is fine. I could hide the truth from everyone, hide it all away deep inside and survive the best I could.